OK, a koala is not a "bear" but this poor fella took a dip in suburbia yesterday in attempt to cool off as my home town (and that of a couple of other TJP forumites) sweltered through near record temperatures. The mercury hit 45.7 (114F) yesterday (the record is 46.1 (115F)) and last night was the warmest night on record with the temperature only dropping to 33.9 (93F).

At 8:00 am this morning it is back up to 36 (97F).

It is as dry as a dead dingo's donger.

Don't complain to me that people kick you when you're down. It's your own fault for lying there

That's some intense weather. Winter's I've experienced here in the states have always been rough. Last year in Michigan -20 F and record snowfall, and now this year in Seattle a winter snow storm! I would much rather have extremely warm weather

chikara wrote:For all of you shivering thru' a Northern Hemisphere winter

Nice picture, but I suspect it's a newspaper creation. Koalas are rarely close to suburbia and even then they avoid humans. They mostly sleep during the day, and rarely go near water anyway. The thought of one sitting in a basin and allowing water to be tipped over it is rather ludicrous.

Tourists come here expecting to be able to cuddle them, so some commercial park operators in Queensland oblige by providing (drugged) koalas for the purpose. It's illegal elsewhere.

jimbreen wrote:Nice picture, but I suspect it's a newspaper creation. Koalas are rarely close to suburbia and even then they avoid humans. They mostly sleep during the day, and rarely go near water anyway. The thought of one sitting in a basin and allowing water to be tipped over it is rather ludicrous. ...

They certainly come close to suburbia around these parts (Adelaide Hills Face Zone) but other than that I agree with you.

jimbreen wrote:Tourists come here expecting to be able to cuddle them, so some commercial park operators in Queensland oblige by providing (drugged) koalas for the purpose. It's illegal elsewhere .....

You can cuddle non-drugged koalas about 15 minutes drive from where I am sitting.

Don't complain to me that people kick you when you're down. It's your own fault for lying there

chikara wrote:They certainly come close to suburbia around these parts (Adelaide Hills Face Zone) but other than that I agree with you.

I'll second that, chikara-san. It's very common to see koalas in suburbia. In fact, I'd say it's becoming more common since the dry hot weather of the last couple of summers. Koalas are more on the move than they ever used to be, in the search of food. For many years, I never saw a koala, but now I see many near where I live, and quite frequently in the Adelaide hills, around the Belair / Blackwood area, which is only 20 mins from the city.

It seems that native animals are not the only ones suffering in this unlawful heat in South Australia. At Monarto Zoo, which is like an African Safari Park, wild cats and dogs are struggling too. They were given huge blocks of ice to help cool them down.